Hardwired Love
by NakanoHana
Summary: Life REALLY sucks for Axel. But a curious gift he receives on his birthday might change everything. Will he learn more about his painful past, and maybe gain some hope for the future? based on Chobits. Akuroku, possibly some Zemyx
1. Chapter 1

_I looked down at the boy beneath me, feeling so much love swell in my heart. It felt almost ready to burst as he looked up at me, his blue eyes hazy, but so warm and happy._

_"I love you, Axel."_

_His arms squeezed tighter around my neck, and I bent down, connecting our lips briefly. I wanted to say the words. I wanted to say them so badly, but I couldn't. There was too much going on right now, and I didn't understand half of it. All I knew now was that my best friend was in my bed, holding me close. And that somehow made everything better..._

_"Same to you, kid."_

_He smiled up at me softly, and laid a hand on my cheek. I almost shuddered at how warm it felt. _

_"I wish this could last forever..."_

_ ~ o ~ _~ o ~ _~ o ~ _~ o ~ _~ o ~ _~ o ~ _~ o ~ _~ o ~ _~ o ~ _~ o ~ _~ o ~ _~ o ~ _~ o ~ _~ o ~ _~ o ~ _~ o ~ _~ o ~ _~ o ~ _~ o ~ _~ o ~ _~ o ~ _~ o ~ _~ o ~ _~ o ~ _~ o ~ _________________________

The year 2063. Three years and 4 months since the day my best friend...no...since my boyfriend disappeared. I'm twenty-three now, struggling to find my way through life. I have two jobs so that one of these days I could actually get to college, but that future seems like it's slowly slipping away. I'm not sure I have the heart or the drive to go for it anymore. Not now.

Three years. I almost can't believe it's been that long. Three years ago, my Roxas disappeared. From the state of his room and other parts of his small apartment, the police concluded it was a break-in, and kidnapping. My boyfriend was no where to be found, and whoever this person or group of persons was, they were smart and damn thorough. Though there were signs of a struggle all over the place, the only DNA that could be found was Roxas's. Roxas's hair, Roxas's finger prints...Roxas's blood. I cried into my friends' arms that night, Demyx and Zexion both. I'm not kidding when I say the best part of my life was gone. I didn't even feel weak for crying either, that's how bad it was.

Roxas was my ray of sunshine in this crazy world. No matter what upgraded and changed, computers, music players, Roxas never seemed to change. He was that same sweet, happy go lucky kid I'd met all those years ago. And he _loved_ me. He was honest-to-god, movie-cliche, head-over-heels in love with me.

And I had never told him the same. Ugh! Stupid, stupid, stupid!

One week after that night we shared, when he opened himself to me, body, heart, soul, the whole works, and I was too much of a coward to let him know...I was feeling the same thing. I don't know. I was nervous. Scratch that, terrified. Back when I had parents to please and a whole life ahead of me to think about, even though I thought we might be going too fast. He told me what he wanted, what he'd dreamed about for years, and I gave it to him there, in one night. He was so happy. But I know I could have made him much, much happier than that.

And now he's gone. He's been gone a long time now.

A month later, a stinking MONTH, and the police said it looked hopeless. A body was never found, the people were never tracked down. Two months, three months went by. The news story started appearing less and less. My friend's kidnaper, and possible murder, was never found. And neither was he...

It crushed me. Crushed me so bad, I didn't know what to do. I was depressed; I stopped eating for a while. I would see him in my dreams every night, and then after a while once every week. He haunted me, and yet he never blamed me for not finding him in those dreams. But the part of it that really killed me was what he DID blame me for. He would always look so heartbroken, saying it again and again until I woke up crying.

"You didn't really love me."

I felt like everything was my fault. And no, I DID love him. I kept trying to tell him that, but he would never listen. If i even said the words "I love you," this horrible blood would leak from his ears, his eyes would roll back, and he'd turn into this horrible thing. He'd morph before my eyes into something I'd never seen before. It was horrible, twisted, disgusting. Most of all, it was cold...

It took forever for Demyx and Zexion and Larxene to pull me out. Help me find something to get my life going again.

So here I am now. In a new city, living in a small rinky-dink apartment with my three friends. Working as a short-order cook on weekend nights and working at shipping and delivery for a mail warehouse not too far from my place the rest of the time. Life is okay now. Okay, but not good or even great.

The time I live in has certainly changed though. Now, these days, if you have enough money, you can buy these fancy computers shaped like people. They can do anything for you, and by anything, I mean just about ANYTHING. Designers these days are really going all out. They can give them an outer layer of material that feels like real skin, some of them can manage realistic facial expressions. Some can have customized personalities, and that's just the aspect of them that's like having a real person. They can surf the web, tell you about your stocks and loans, cook and clean, even act as personal bodyguards. They're pretty amazing.

...That feels so off-topic to what I was just going on about, but yeah. Times are really changing. And I'm talking about it because it's just about the only thing that has me interested in the world. I kind of wish I had one of those do-it-all robot computer things sometimes. But I'm pretty poor and could never afford something that damn expensive. That, and I'd rather have someone real, if they're going to look like a person. Someone who can feel, touch, taste, smell. You get the idea.

Other than that, we're beginning to make some headway on teleports. That's just about the only thing we have left to perfect, I think. Lots of stuff is more mechanized now. There are a lot more escalators and moving sidewalks around the place, at least where I used to live. The city I live in now is a lot less advanced, and to be honest, I like it that way. I think too much machine influence makes us lazy. Not to mention puts us at risk for ending up like that old movie my grandparents used to tell me about. The Matrix, I think it was called?

Whatever. Even if the world is doomed, I doubt my own life could get any worse. My wounds are still fresh and occasionally bleeding, and it seems like the rest of my hopes and dreams I once had are going nowhere. I feel useless and sad sometimes. I know the others can see it to.

Sigh. I'm just a burden to everything.

I shrug my way out of my cooking apron and leave it on a hook by the door. It's a little unnerving that said hook immediately says, "Thank you. Have a nice day." That's one inanimate object that I think should stay quiet. What's the point of it anyway? To increase moral? We're a fucking diner, for Christ sakes!

I give it a wary nod, then call to my boss that I'm going. He's a big, burly man named Lexaeus; doesn't look too smart, but let me tell you, he's mean when he wants to be.

He grunts back, and I take that as a sign it's okay to leave. So I shuffle out the front door and down into the the dark, dusty streets. The tall skyscrapers all around make this place look even dark and more intimidating than it already is. I almost wish I could leave sometime during the day instead, just because it would be brighter, less depressing. Plus, with my schedule this way, I can't go out and party like I used to on the weekends. But even then, I guess that's no great loss. It's been so long since I had fun at a party, or even brought someone home.

I take a step onto the sidewalk. It's cold out tonight. Not many people out wandering the streets. I see a few couples, all bundled up and cuddling together for warmth as they walk. It makes me feel terrible to think so, but sometimes I feel angry when I see couples. If only in the sense that that might have been me. I know it's probably dumb to think so, but I feel like it was my fault, somehow. My fault that he's gone. Maybe, if I had done things differently, maybe...

Maybe he might have still been here now, with me, so we could hold each other just like those couples did...

I shake my head, desperately trying to rid my mind of those thoughts. They won't help me now, just make me feel worse. Sometimes I really have to fight the desire to dwell on it all. I know I'll never get anywhere if I do, but at this point, I almost wouldn't mind not going anywhere. I remember Roxas telling me all his hopes and dreams. Like how he wanted to be an artist like his sister, Namine. I'd seen his stuff, and new instantly he was going to do great things. But now his goals are so far out of reach. Impossible. When I look at it that way, it almost seems fair that I don't go anywhere or do anything either. At least in some small, insignificant way, we can still be together.

When I finally made it home, I muttered a good night to Demyx, who was hanging out on the common room couch watching t.v., and shut myself into my room. I kicked off my shoes and threw on one of my old, huge ratty t-shirts and climbed into bed. I was tired and achy well before this point. In the vain hope that I could maybe get some decent sleep for once, I shut my eyes and let myself drift off.

In the morning it would start all over again. Rinse, wash, and repeat.

_~ o ~ _~ o ~ _~ o ~ _~ o ~ _~ o ~ _~ o ~ _~ o ~ _~ o ~ _~ o ~ _~ o ~ _~ o ~ _~ o ~ _~ o ~ _~ o ~ _~ o ~ _~ o ~ _~ o ~ _~ o ~ _~ o ~ _~ o ~ _~ o ~ _~ o ~ _~ o ~ _~ o ~ _~ o ~_________________________

"I don't know! How am I supposed to know what he likes?"

"You're his best friend, dipshit. I'd think of all people you'd know what to get fire-crotch for his own birthday..."

I heard the hissing and hushed tones coming from our tiny communal kitchen as I stumbled through the dark. I'd just gotten up to get a snack because sometimes, hey, I just wake up in the middle of the night and feel hungry. So sue me. Anyway, I hear my friends in there and wonder, what time is it again? Three in the f-ing morning? What the hell could they possibly be doing up? I'm too out of it to really hear what they're talking about, and by the time I find my way in there, they go dead silent.

Sometimes, I swear Zexion looks more emo than I feel. Kid's got his hair all floppy and covering one eye. Wears dark clothes. He practically blends in with the shadows in the kitchen. Now, Dem is another story. He's wearing bright blue, and...I snort. Spongebob pajama pants? How old is he?

"Sup, guys?"

They watch me almost warily, and I spot Larxene leaning against the counter near where we keep the glasses. She runs a hand through her hair, smoothing her weird antennae-like bangs against her head casually.

"Oh, ya know, late night meetings in the kitchen. That kind of shit."

I blinked at her. "About what?"

Without hesitating, she snorts, "Intervention. Waterbaby here had another sugar episode on the bus tonight."

"Hey! Did not!" Demyx shrieks back, and I swear my ear drum just cracked. I raised a hand to my ear and wince a little.

"Dem, not now. Too loud, too early." To the rest of them, I mutter, "I'm just hear to grab some of that string cheese I bought earlier." I push open the fridge, grab a small packet of it, and turn away. "Have fun with your meeting."

As I finish the cheese, trash the wrapper, and climb back into bed, I vaguely register hearing the front door shut. It's loud as hell, even if you don't slam it, so there's no way I could have missed it. I'm too tired to wonder about it, so I just roll over and tell the world to f off for the second time tonight.

Hell, I'm so out of it, I didn't remember my own damn birthday is tomorrow.


	2. Chapter 2

"Damn it." Demyx kicked an empty can of beer that was laying on the sidewalk. There wasn't much of a reason to it; he did it just because he could.

_'Stupid Larxene...why does she always leave this crap up to me?'_

Trying to find Axel a good gift was much easier said than done. His friends all knew him equally well; Demyx thought the other two probably had a better idea of where to start. The trouble was that even among his friends, Axel tended to keep to himself a lot, especially after the incident with Roxas. The redhead used to be a more open person, but after all the drama, it was like he closed himself off from the rest of the world. He went through the motions, but the spark wasn't there anymore. He'd poured out his emotions to Demyx and the others those first few weeks; now he was just blank. Like he felt nothing now but hollowness, occasionally filled by a thin layer of sadness that came and went. The things that used to make him laugh barely raised a chuckle from him now; his smile was always thin and rarely met his eyes.

No one blamed him, of course, but there was a certain time when people were expected to move on if they ever wanted to function in society again, and Axel hadn't reached that stage. He didn't even seem to be coming close.

"It's because he loved him," Larxene would always say. "A love like that is hard to forget, and even harder to get over." She'd seen it before.

Demyx barely understood it, though he liked to believe love could overcome everything. The media always portrayed love as something potent and powerful, capable of anything if it was strong and true enough. It was always overdone, but people had to feel something like it sometimes, right? Why else would they keep writing about it if it didn't exist?

But this "love" just seemed to be paralyzing Axel, and no body knew what to do to snap him out of it.

'I wish I could get him something really good,' the blonde thought solemnly. He wanted something to really make his friend really happy, but it already looked like a lost cause. But Demyx was a determined sort. Never very bright, but always kind and caring, he wanted to go big or not at all. Get something that really made Axel smile for once, or get him nothing. And he'd be damned if the latter was his only option.

The night was relatively quiet; no other people out milling about the streets at this hour. Even in a city like this, it was easy to get mugged if you happened to go down the wrong alley, so Demyx avoided them, heading instead toward the park. He liked to sit on the bench over there and think sometimes, and without the kids around, it's be even more peaceful. Maybe he could think of something there.

Once he reached it, a good five minutes later, he blonde sat himself down on a swing instead. He and Axel used to love the swings as kids. They'd try to go so high all the time, and Axel once bragged he could swing over the bar and come down on the other side okay. Demyx had challenged him, and he ended up falling off, breaking his wrist in the fall, as well as doing an interesting face-plant in the mulch. The blonde smiled as he remembered.

The park wasn't all that big compared to something you'd see in other cities. It had a small pond, and a stream you could cross over with a small, tastefully-painted wooden bridge. The paint was peeling here and there, but it still looked fairly nice and held its own well against a few harsh winter snowstorms. On one side of the bridge was a small garden area, backed by a couple trees before you hit a small, wooded area. The other side of the bridge held a decent-sized playground, complete with a colorful slide attached to a fort, monkey bars, and a swing set, among other things. There was a path from the bridge to either side, and one or two benches here and there for the parents or elderly. Tons of people came there everyday, many with babies or young kids, who wanted to enjoy the sunshine and fresh air. It was nice to see that even in a time with so much development and technological advancement that people still appreciated simple things like getting outside for a bit and playing the old-fashioned way.

Contrasted to that, Demyx knew that teens would come here occasionally at night and take hits of all sorts of things on the fort. But kids doing drugs was nothing new.

He swung back and forth for a while, once and a while looking around the park or up at the stars. It was a pretty clear night, and although you could only see one or two, there were a few stars that could be seen shining in the sky. Once a plane even went by, and he almost counted it as a star, before seeing it blinking and moving across the blackness. The quarter moon cast shadows over the playground, darkening everything until they became unrecognizable. The kind of things children would see and become afraid of, thinking they were some sort of monsters of the night out to get them. Seeing everything like this, at night, it was almost like a whole different world. It was peaceful, but also lifeless. Cold...

Still, no useful thoughts came to mind. Demyx scratched his head and groaned in frustration.

"Why'd you have to go, Rox?" The kid had been a good friend to all of them, and his absence was deeply felt. Not just by Axel, though he was taking it the hardest...

Then, a sound. The sound of cans and boxes clattering on the ground.

At once, the man's head jerked up, scanning the area. His eyes came to rest on shielded dumpster sitting just a yard or two away. The sound had gone suddenly, just as much as it had come, but there was no doubt that it had come from there. Digging his feet in the gravel, the blonde came to a stop and pushed off the swing, before hesitantly approaching.

"Hello?"

The dumpster was surrounded by a thin, extra four walls of metal. It was accessible via a latched door facing the rest of the park, a sign just in front of it indicating that all visitors should dispose of any trash in the proper receptacle. The door was latched closed, Demyx noted with some confusion. He hoped there wasn't a wild, vicious animal that had somehow wandered in there. A squirrel could fit under the tiny gap under the extra wall, but a raccoon or something large seemed implausible.

For a short moment, Demyx pressed his ear to the wall, wrinkling his nose at the smell emanating from the inside. He listened intently for a moment or two, but didn't hear any growling or whining. The rustling of trash was more prevalent, as if something were clumsily digging through all the junk in there, and with a slightly trembling hand, the blonde reached for the latch and prepared himself for what he would find.

A smarter man might have turned and left, but again, Demyx wasn't the brightest bulb in the store.

"If this is some prank, then I'm gonna-"

He paused once the door swung open, gaping down at the colossal pile of trash in horror.

"No. Fucking. Way..."

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Axel's POV:

"Move those boxes to the back, would you?"

"Sure," I mumbled, moving to lift one of the heavier ones first as my superior left. I could have probably gotten a cart for them, but I knew the day was going to be a long one, even by most work standards, and I might as well take my time with some of the simpler stuff. I could smell something good wafting on the air from the employee break room, and glared down at my stomach as it growled. I'd woken up late again and didn't get a chance to eat breakfast or pack a lunch. Damn me for not planning ahead. Now I was just going to have to suffer all day.

'God, why'd somebody have to bring steak?' I thought bitterly, hoisting the box with a groan. It was heavier than I'd initially thought, and I staggered a little before I managed to catch it. Gripping tightly, I carried it slowly to the old, dusty room in the back where all unsent orders went. Me and this other guy would go through them later, make sure they contained what they said, then write up the items we found and put that piece of paper in the box, seal it back up, and prepare it for shipping.

The back also held a few orders that lacked a return or delivery address. It happened quite a bit, actually; I guess some people make mistakes like that, or maybe they just have idiots working on them. Whatever. Sometimes I can catch other employees pilfering stuff out of those unsent boxes, figuring, I guess, that if they aren't going out anyway and the sender doesn't want them anymore, the stuff might as well be put to good use. It seems shady to me, but who am I to go preaching to them? I can't bring myself to care enough about that stuff.

After moving the other two boxes back there, which took under five minutes, I noticed grimly, I made my way to the break room, seeing a couple of people just leaving. Once they had all vacated, I snuck over to the vending machine and began searching my pockets for quarters. I cursed, only feeling a few at first, but finally I dug up enough from both pockets combined, as well as scanning the floor for a dime or two. I pressed the button for a snickers bar, but wouldn't you know it? It got stuck right before it was about to fall off.

"You gotta be kidding me!" I groaned, shaking the machine a few times before I finally just broke down and kicked it. Hard, too. I think my foot is more dented than the actual vending machine.

Why is life so content to screw with me? It's not enough that I feel like shit half the time, now this thing's got to be against me too?

"Love you, God. Love you loads," I quipped with quiet sarcasm, banging my head against the machine once too, not as hard as I'd kicked it. That'd do brain damage, and I consciously decided I didn't need any more than that. If Larxene were here, she'd probably just laugh at me, then buy herself some pretzels and eat them in front of me, just to be a tease.

I sighed.

"Need some cash, Red?"

I nearly jumped out of my skin, not expecting to hear someone come in behind me. I spun around, and was met with short, pink hair and a cocky smile. Marluxia. The weirdest looking, weirdest acting guy in this place, besides me...

"How long were you standing there?"

He shrugged and moved out of the doorway. "About two minutes. Long enough to watch you make an ass out of yourself over cheap candy."

I narrowed my eyes. "I didn't eat breakfast, okay? Lay off."

"Didn't bring a lunch either?"

I shook my head, sighing again. "No." I had to let my frustration cool a bit. This guy got on a lot of people's nerves, sure, but getting all worked up like this wasn't going to solve my problem. Just embarrass me.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out what looked to be a dollar. He held it out to me, and from what I could see, it was one of those rare two dollar bills.

"Try again. This time you'll get two, but I suggest you bring actual food the next time around. You're gonna get fat eating like that."

I hesitated, feeling like I was about to sell an ancient, valuable artifact just so I could buy some comic books. Finally, I took it from him, hearing my stomach growl and letting that decide for me. "Who are you, my girlfriend?"

He smirked. "No, but I could be."

I scowled. "Not interested."

"I was kidding, Red." With that, he turned to the fridge and pulled out a half-opened can of pepsi. "You should really learn to lighten up, man." Then he left.

I watched him go for only a minute, brushing off the encounter as I forced the dollar into the machine and eagerly awaited my food. Everyone at the office thought Marluxia was a bit of a dick, but he still had a few people he would pal around with. It was rare that he ever spoke to Axel; being higher up in the office food chain, he usually got other people to do that. But though Axel had always suspected he was gay, he'd never thought the man would be interested in him at all.

'He was joking. Let it go,' I thought, biting into the chocolate and caramel and sighing with contentment. It wasn't much, but it was good enough for a schmuck like me.

Still...I couldn't help but think of him the rest of the day.

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3rd POV:

Later, as he was getting ready to go, Axel glanced down, hearing the buzz of his phone. Sure enough, the front screen began lighting up, and he groaned a little as he snapped it open and brought it up to his ear.

"Yeah?"

A snort was audible from the other end. "Yeah, uh, hi. This is Tim Wielder from FutureCo. We'd liked to discuss some long term benefits of switching from your current insurance over to our-"

"I know it's you, Sora." Axel rolled his eyes.

"What? How?"

"How bout the caller I.D., genius. Our grandparents knew about this shit, kid."

"Oh..." There was a short pause, all throughout which Axel swore he could hear sniggering in the background. "But my impression was pretty good, right? Right, Axel?- Shut up!" A loud burst of sniggers that Axel immediately identified as Riku boomed loudly, easily muffling Sora's whines.

"Sora, you can't fool anyone. You're voice still does that 'ten year old girl' thing all the time."

"Does not!" There was more laughter before it abruptly cut off with a load groan, "Ow! Jeez, Sora!"

Axel rolled his eyes again, feeling the faintest hints of a smile trying to tug the corners of his lips. "Cut the bull, dork. Why'd you call? I kinda want to get home soon, if it's all the same to you."

"Oh, right! Everybody get over here!"

Axel grimaced. He knew what was coming even before it began.

"1..."

"No please, guys. You know I hate it."

"2..."

"I'm serious! Look, it's been a long day. Can I please just-"

"3! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOUUUUU!"

The redhead was rubbing his temple faster than you can say migraine. There was no point in trying to stop them. Luckily, there was no one else around right now, or he'd have been tempted to just hang up and leave. Leaning against the wall, jerking the phone away from his ear, so far out in front of him he could barely read the number keys, Axel waited for the storm to subside, listening to the screechy, poorly melding voices of Selphie, Tidus, Wakka, Olette, and Vivi, in there mixed with Sora's. At least Riku had the decency to keep silent. He was still probably smirking like the jackass he was, relishing in Axel's pain even over the phone from the other side of town.

"Thanks, guys. Thanks a lot," he mumbled once they'd finished. "What a day. Work's a bitch, then I gotta get my eardrums broken."

"Oh, lighten up, you ass!" Selphie chimed in, louder than usual. Axel whipped the phone away again and cursed silently. "It's your big day!"

"Me and the others wanted to know if you come hang out with us tonight," Sora added, the soft airy sounds and grunts, Axel guessed, were made by the brunet wrestling the phone away. "There's a small club about half-way between our apartments..."

"Sorry, can't. Having dinner with Lar and the idiots tonight." With a small sigh, he relented. "Thanks anyway."

"No prob, man. But hey, just wondering...You're gonna be okay, right?"

Axel snorted. "Duh. I'll be with my roommates. They won't let me do anything dumb...well..._that _dumb." He knew what Sora meant, though, and honestly appreciated it. He didn't deserve the care.

"Alright. We'll go out and celebrate for you." There was a collective cheer, and the redhead did smile a little at that. "I'll bring the gang by next weekend and we'll do something fun. Maybe I can bring Kairi too, if I can get her damn software to work."

Axel blinked. He knew Sora had mentioned getting one of those new persocoms recently. Axel couldn't help a little bubble of excitement that gripped his chest. He would gladly take a look at it, and maybe tinker around if Sora let him. Technology was pretty damn cool.

"Did you set her up okay?"

"I think so...But the directions get way too confusing when it comes to updating and installing! And Riku won't help me at all!"

Axel grinned a little then. "He's probably just jealous."

"I know." He heard Riku mumbling something incoherent in the background again, and Sora groaned. "Ignore him. But I'll bring her by sometime, once I've showed her how to walk on her own. Damn persocoms are so heavy!"

"I'll bet. I'd love to meet her. You guys can hang over here anytime, s'long as you let me know ahead of time. Just remember to cut Hayner off at seven next time. I don't think my neighbors want a repeat of last time."

Sora chuckled. "Gotcha. Alright, see you soon, Axel."

"Bye." With a sigh, Axel straightened and closed the phone, slipping it into his pocket. It was weird, having something to look forward to like this. It was a nice feeling, but Axel couldn't escape the underlying guilt he felt at it. How could he be happy when Roxas wasn't? And the kid's brother still insisted on trying to cheer him up!

He was a jerk to everyone, especially Sora, but he just couldn't let go of the past. Why did he dare to hope that anything would get better?

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By the time he got back to his apartment, Axel didn't want dinner. He didn't want anything, but a good, long, uninterrupted sleep. He unlocked the front door and staggered in, looking around for the others. Usually at least Demyx or Zexion were on the couch, reading or watching t.v. The lights were on in the common area and kitchen.

Axel kicked his shoes off and locked the door behind him, stretching with a slight yawn. His roommates were here, no doubt about it. The tiniest signs proved so; there was a freshly opened can of beer on the table in front of the couch; the dishwasher was open, like someone had clearly been taking stuff out or putting it in. With that, Axel unceremoniously scratched his ass, shifted his bag to his other shoulder, and slowly trekked back to his room.

On the way, however, he could hear noises coming from Demyx's room. Voices...

"Dem...I don't know if this is a good idea..."

"It's perfect! Look at it!"

A scoff. "You really found it in a dumpster in the park? Why the hell would someone throw away something this expensive?"

"Hell if I know! I'm not questioning it!"

Axel quirked an eyebrow and stepped closer, dropping his bag to the floor outside his room. He unlocked his door slowly listening to his roommates across the tiny hallway.

"It probably has tons of germs on it."

"But look at it! He's gonna flip, I just know it!"

"He'll flip alright, but not in the good way."

The door giggled open, and Axel turned to see Larxene appearing through the gap. Her eyes widened when she noticed him there.

"Oh...hey. You about ready to head to dinner?"

Axel opened his mouth, about to decline, when a hyper mass of bobbing, mulleted blonde hair came into view just behind her.

"He's home! Oh good! Show him! Show him!"

"Show me what?"

Larxene frowned, eyes darting away as he shot a curious look their way. Hands on hips, Axel addressed them again. "Seriously, guys, I'm tired. Quit screwing around. What do you want to show me?"

The blonde woman sighed heavily, stepping out of the way, a gleeful Demyx following her lead.

"Fine, but I think you're gonna regret it." Whether the last bit was spoken to him or Demyx, Axel couldn't tell. He took a few hesitant steps into the room, and looked down to see Zexion, sitting on the floor by the huddled form of a...

A...

Axel couldn't even form proper syllables. He did, however, have the mental capacity to form a few words, breaking through the newly-unleashed chaos attacking every inch of his mind.

'No. Fucking. Way...'


	3. Chapter 3

"You like it?" Demyx asked, bouncing up and down slightly where he stood.

Axel just stared. It felt as though his heart has stopped completely; though he wanted to race into the room that very moment, some unknown force kept him firmly standing in the doorway. Whatever it was, it was beyond his power to fight.

On the plush, carpeted floor, leaning against the edge of the bed, was Roxas.

"It…" Axel's lips were having a hard time moving as well. He felt as if the scene were unfolding underwater. "It can't be…."

"I know, right?" Demyx squealed and hugged Larxene around the middle, ignoring her uncomfortable squirms as he rambled excitedly. " I found it out in the park, by the dumpsters! Can you believe someone would throw something this expensive away!"

The redhead looked at his friend, speechless, all but ready to punch his lights out. What in bloody hell was he talking about?

Sensing the confusion and anger rising, Zexion coughed and stood up.

"It's a persocom," he said calmly.

The excitement dimmed, and within the scope of seconds, Axel felt his heart sinking in his chest. This wasn't really him? But…..but it looked just like him!

"I told you he'd hate it," Larxene sighed, rubbing her temple. "Look, he didn't tell any of us this first. If you're going to kill someone, kill Waterbaby."

"Hey! That's not fair!" the other blonde whined, gripping his roommate more tightly. "You guys are the ones who sent me out to get a present!"

"You could have bought him a mug or something, Dem. How are you not getting this?"

Zexion watched silently as Axel seemed to be slowly taking all of this in. It wasn't Roxas. As he let that fact drag itself through his mind, he looked down at the little figure on the floor. It really was the spitting image of Roxas. Blonde hair the poked up in spikes over his head, soft, peachy skin; same…..

Axel's head looked quickly up and down the little persocom, and instantly his face burned an almost angry red. Computer though it may be, the persocom was naked other than a loose wrap around its waist and part of its upper torso. Part of the cover seemed to be slipping down slightly, and Axel whipped his head away, pretending he hadn't just been staring.

"Y-You found it in the park?" he asked softly, drawing the attention of his friends. A part of him wanted to be miffed that Demyx had basically brought him someone else's trash as a birthday present, but then, his mind was reeling. Somehow, that just seemed unimportant right now.

Demyx blinked, then nodded quickly, smiling. "Uh-huh! I was wondering what to get you, when all the sudden I heard this crash! I checked it out, and suddenly found this kid stumbling around in the dumpster!"

Feeling a bit of clarity come back to him, Axel gently tipped his head to the side. "Really?"

"Yeah! I could have sworn it was a kid, but then I saw the ears! That was a dead give-away!"

The redhead blinked, looking back to the figure on the floor. It was true. In place of where human ears might have gone, there were these weird phone-looking outlet….things…. Axel wasn't sure what to call them, other than ears. He then noticed the persocom's predicament, again, and looked away, embarrassed. "Could you p-put some clothes on him?"

Now it was Demyx's turn to blink. "Why? Does it bother you? You saw Roxy like this all the-"

"DEMYX!" The whole apartment snapped in unison, causing the blonde to jump and shake.

"Geeez! Fine, FINE! I'll go find him something! You guys just turn him back on!"

With that, the blonde was out the front door with a slam, leaving his bewildered and slightly agitated roommates behind, gaping at the dissipating cloud of smoke.

Larxene shook her head, for once shooting her friend a sympathetic glance. "I'm really sorry about this, Ax. He should have known better."

Axel chuckled half-heartedly, shaking his head as he looked down at his feet. It was cruel in a way, but everyone there knew that Demyx was never purposefully cruel to anyone. He probably really thought he'd cheer Axel up this way. As misguided as his attempts may have been, the guy was a good friend.

Still, telling yourself that and believing it can be two different things.

Wiping the tears gathering in his eyes, Axel sighed a heavy sigh. "Nah, it's fine I guess." He wasn't sure he could really look at the thing, though. Not without thinking about Roxas. It really did look so much like him...

Zexion pushed some of the hair back out of his face. "We totally get it if you want to just ditch the thing. I can go get a trash bag and we-"

Axel looked at him, aghast.

"It's just a persocom, Axel," the other boy sighed. "It's not like you're really...you know..."

"I know, it's just..." Axel looked down at the figure again. Despite everything, it looked so peaceful. Like a human boy, sleeping. "It's just..."

Larxene scratched her head. "You want to try turning it on...or something? I don't know. Do you want to keep it?"

The next moment passed like a silent eternity, as the redhead mulled over his thoughts. Finally, Axel took the first hesitant step forward. Then another. Then another. Soon enough, he was crossing the room, kneeling down beside the strange, humanoid computer. He studied it curiously, his eyes pained but interest piqued. His roommates sighed together.

"This seems like a bad idea, Ax. Not gonna lie," Larxene muttered, a soft sympathy masked beneath her irritated look. Zexion nodded his agreement silently.

Axel looked back at them each in turn.

"I know, alright? I know this is a crappy idea, but I just...can't..."

_'I can't throw h-it away...'_

Looking back down at the persocom, Axel breathed another sigh. "How do...you know... turn it on?"

The blonde made a soft 'tch' sound. "Got me..."

Zexion sat down on the other side of the persocom, and moved it forward slightly, away from the bed.

"Support him. I think I saw Demyx messing with something on the back of his neck..."

Axel nodded, and when the persocom began to fall forward, he was almost dragged down by the sheer force.

"Holy shit, how heavy is this thing?"

Larxene leaned against the doorway now, shrugging. "It IS still a computer, right?"

"Yeah, but not ALL computers are big and bulky!" These days, even home computers were made of relatively light materials, easy to carry and move with minimal issue.

"I think there's a button back here," Zexion murmured, moving some hair away from the back and gripping the neck more firmly. Holding up the persocom much better now, Axel noticed that the skin-like material beneath his fingers actually felt like real human skin. It was soft, a bit spongey, and light to the touch. Curiosity urged him onward, and he reached up a bit, only to find that the hair felt real as well. It was amazing...

"Got it." Axel laid the 'boy' back against the side of the bed as he and Zexion moved back. Slowly, the ears on the side of the head began to twitch, and emit a soft sound. It was static mixed with a slight ring, Axel realized, remembering the day his grandfather had shown him the old dial-up system he had used growing up. Then, 'eyelids' slowly slid open, revealing deep blue eyes that only pained Axel again. But these were clearly glassy; pain-stakingly fashion, no doubt, but not much like real eyes at all.

Those blue orbs blinked just as slowly, several times, as the persocom glanced around the room. He regarded each person in turn, but said nothing. Axel shuddered when those glassy orbs fell upon him. If he squinted, he could almost believe it...

"H-Hey there," he offered, trying his best to sound cool and collect again. No one needed to state he was failing miserably. "What's you're name?"

The boy tilted his head slightly, fixing Axel with squinted eyes and the most bewildered look he had ever seen. It was almost cute, but still. "Do you have a name?"

The blonde lifted a hand and examined it with soft wonder, seeming to have forget very quickly that he had an audience. Larxene shook her head.

"You think he's broken?"

"No, he probably just needs new software," Zexion said matter-of-factly. "Judging by the shape he's in, I'd say the person who owned him before wasn't very tech-savy. Nothing major, but he could stand some cleaning up and possibly a debugging and reprogramming." He leaned in again and waved a hand in front of the boy's eyes, watching as he stopped his hand-watching and became entranced by the hand, following it hypnotically back and forth. "He's still functioning, so there's something to be salvaged there. I know a friend who might be able to take a look at him."

Axel nodded shakily. He was still trying to will himself out of a hopeful fantasy. It wasn't going to happen. This whole thing was just a big coincidence. A big, cruel, totally implausible coincidence...

The boy reached out and grabbed Zexion's hand, examining that. Eyes a little wider, he murmured something softly.

Axel perked up a bit. "Huh? What'd he say?"

Zexion snapped his fingers in front of the boy's face, gaining his focus before asking the question again. The blonde blinked uncomprehendingly, and he sighed.

"This might be a hopeless case for the time being...I-"

Suddenly, the persocom shifted forward a bit, onto his knees. Axel's face went deep red as the cover slipped a bit more, and before he knew it, the boy was moving slowly over to him. Not that he had far to go.

"W-What? W-What is it?" Axel asked, trying not to freak out much when cool, yet still distinctly human hands touched his cheeks. There was a short pause while the boy seemed to examine him, and Axel thought he'd go insane, seeing that face, feeling those hands, when-

"Ven..."

He blinked. "Huh?"

The boy smiled brightly, and all at once he looked like an angel. His little voice- _'Damn! So much like Roxas'!' _chirped, excitedly like a little kid's at Christmas.

"Ven!"


End file.
